Those opposing restructuring are anti-Nigeria -SEF

The South East Forum (SEF), an Igbo pressure group, has stated that over 70 percent Nigerians are rooting for the restructuring of the country stressing that anybody or group of people opposing it are anti-Nigeria.

President of the group, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, who stated this at the weekend after a meeting of the forum in Enugu noted that only a negligible 30 per cent Nigerians are opposed to it.

According to him, a lot of advantages accrue to restructuring if it is allowed to see the light of the day, pointing out that if Nigeria is restructured according to the yearning of the people, it would help check the agitations and the supposed hate speeches going on presently in the country.

“Vast majority of Nigerians are going for restructuring. 70 per cent of Nigerians are for restructuring while only about 30 per cent are against it.

“Restructuring must take place. People who are organising the hate songs are the enemies of Nigeria. Anybody circulating the songs is anti-Nigeria,” Izuogu pointed out.

He went on, “if we restructure and correct the ills in Nigeria, there will be no need for Biafra agitation and other agitations. If Nigeria is restructured, agitations will fizzle out on their own.”

Harping on the advantage of restructuring, SEF president said that if Nigeria is restructured, the federating units that make up Nigeria will be able to develop at their own pace as it was when Nigeria was running the three regional governments of North, West and East and later, Mid West.

Speaking on one of the major issues that has been fueling the agitation especially among the Igbo people, Izuogu noted that the West and the North have held on to the presidency for too long whereas Ndigbo have never had the opportunity even for once safe the military era when Ironsi held sway as the military president before he was brutally assassinated.

He expressed the view that if this anomaly is addressed, it would go a long way in building unity in Nigeria because, according to him, Igbos love Nigeria dearly, citing Zik, Okpara, Ibiam as some of the Igbos that sacrificed a lot to see that Nigeria gained independence to become one united nation.

He suggested that if Nigeria should go back to the 1963 Constitution instead of the 1999 Constitution, Nigeria would be the better for it because the 1963 Constitution recognised the discreteness of each of the zones and did not give room for dictatorship but democracy.

“Let’s go back to the 1963 Constitution. The Constitution recognised the discreteness of each zone. We don’t want dictatorship, we want democratic standing. America allows states to develop at their pace. They are enjoying democracy and we want to enjoy ours,” he said.

‎The leader of the forum added that President Buhari has not violated any law by not returning to the country from his medical trip abroad.

He also said that those who are demonstrating that they want to see their president return to office have the right to demonstrate saying it is the beauty of democracy, pointing out that they should not be assaulted for demonstrating.